I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 145
Even in the warm room, the occasional cough still escaped, making Nisha frown as she grabbed her throat.
Mary, startled, hurriedly brought some lukewarm water and placed it in her hands instead of the bouquet.
“Shall I put the flowers in a vase, Tun?”
“…Yes, that would be nice.”
No sooner had she answered in her slightly hoarse voice than another cough came up.
Cough-.
Some days, she wouldn’t cough at all, while on others, it would come every hour.
It was painful, sure, but it wasn’t something she particularly hated.
This pain was proof that Nisha was still very much alive, a reminder that she was truly rooted in this place.
‘I’d like to tend to other lands, too…’
The problem was that Kagan had discovered her most intimate and quiet secret.
Though he wouldn’t stop her if she chose to do it, she would likely have to argue with him or endure him following her around, which was not a pleasant thought.
And, of course, she couldn’t move in secret in his country.
“You’re still taking the medicine the physician gave you every day, right?”
“Yes, thanks to that, the coughing has decreased a lot.”
“That’s true… In Roshan, you couldn’t even get proper medicine.”
Mary’s expression grew even more sour, as if she still held some lingering resentment.
As Nisha chuckled at the childlike display of emotions from Mary, someone she regarded as family, she ruffled the girl’s hair.
“Relax your expression, why do you look angrier than me?”
“I’m upset. Our princess… no, Tun, is such an extraordinary person… and yet, they had to treat you that way.”
“I didn’t reveal any of my abilities there…”
Nisha’s eyes shifted as she added that it was inevitable.
‘And…’
If the conversation she had with Kagan wasn’t a dream, then Roshan would soon face another great war.
“I really hope you find happiness.”
“For me to be happy, Mary needs to be happy first.”
At Nisha’s teasing words, Mary giggled.
As she cradled the bouquet of flowers and turned to put them in a vase, Nisha rose to her feet, intending to visit Kagan.
“W-Where are you going?”
“To see Kagan… I mean, my husband.”
“Oh! Then let me help you get ready.”
Noticing Nisha’s light attire, Mary quickly opened the wardrobe, fetching a light shawl and necklace.
‘I was planning to go as is…’
Nisha thought to herself, unaware of Mary’s perception of her simple clothing, as she allowed Mary to lightly adorn her.
“Shall I escort you?”
“No, you take care of your tasks. I can go alone.”
“Understood.”
Mary hesitated for a moment but soon nodded obediently, bowing with the bouquet in her arms before retreating.
“…Ah.”
As Nisha walked down the hallway and spotted a woman draped in animal fur approaching from the opposite direction, she paused.
The woman, having noticed Nisha as well, stopped and bowed.
“Katun, it is an honor to meet you.”
“And you are…?”
“I am Arha, the eldest daughter of Tarh, the chieftain of the Elbana region in western Xieman.”
“I remember you, Arha, young chieftain.”
They had briefly exchanged greetings at a previous banquet.
She was a tall, lean woman with fierce eyes and her hair tied up like a horse’s tail.
‘Wasn’t there a rumor about her and Kagan being involved somehow…?’
Though Kagan had stated he had no intentions of taking on more consorts, it did make Nisha wonder.
‘They do seem like they would suit each other…’
Throb-.
Before she could finish the thought, a sharp pang in her chest made Nisha’s eyes widen slightly.
“Katun? Are you unwell?”
“Ah, no. I’m fine. What brings you here from so far away…?”